ACan anyone please advise I made a bag cake where the handles were suppose to stand up right but ended up having to do them down thw sides of the bag as they kept on breaking even after I had left them to harden I've only ever used shop ready rolled icing/ sugarpaste is there something else maybe i should use im new to cake making so don't know a lot about things but have seen things like tylose and tragacanth mentioned but have no idea what they are any help would be much appreciated thank you x

Did you build your handles over shaped wire?

ADid you use gum paste?

http://www.notquitenigella.com/2010/08/10/a-step-by-step-guide-to-make-your-own-designer-handbag-cake-with-planet-cake/

This may help you.

Sugar paste alone is not strong enough. you need Flower paste (gum paste) and to allow drying time. Ideally using a tube as the link for better support. I tried it once using tylos in the sugar paste but it didn't hold. The one in my pics was flower paste (gum paste).That held well but it was a flat handle rather than rounded.

AThank you no I didn't use shaped wire or gum paste not even sure what that is lol I just used normal shop brought ready roll icing. Rosiepan thank you I'll look that up and I'll get some gum paste is this just icing or do I add it to the icing ?

Gumpaste is what we call flowerpaste.You can add ready to roll sugarpaste to flowerpaste (50/50) to give you more time to work with as flowerpaste dries hard quickly but is more stronger.